Management of cryptographic transactions

Abstract

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core, at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to compile a set of transactions in a block chain based resource management system that have taken place after the most recent block was established, establish a new block in the block chain, and in establishing the new block, for transactions associated with verification accept messages and lacking sufficient resources, cause transferring of the lacking resources from verification nodes having sent the verification accept messages.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor; and
 at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
 store a block chain segment of a block chain based resource management system wherein the managed resource is file storage capacity; 
 process, based at least partly on the block chain segment, a verification request concerning a file storage capacity transaction transferring file storage capacity from one or more verifying nodes to a recipient lacking resources, and 
 cause transmission of a verification accept message, to the resource management system, in response to the processing indicating the transaction is acceptable, before a new block comprising the transaction is established in the block chain; wherein the transferring file storage capacity includes, for each transaction associated with a verification accept message and lacking sufficient resources, in the new block, a transaction that transfers file storage capacity from the one or more verifying nodes that sent the associated verification message, to a recipient of the transaction lacking sufficient resources. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to process the verification request at least partly by determination, whether a cryptographic signature comprised in the verification request is associated with sufficient resources to perform the transaction. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a verification node, and the at least one processor is configured to process the verification request at least partly in collaboration with other verification nodes. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the collaboration comprises transmitting the verification request to the other verification nodes. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the collaboration comprises requesting further block chain segments from the other verification nodes. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to transmit the verification accept message to at least one further verification node. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the verification accept message comprises a cryptographic signature of the apparatus. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to transmit the verification accept message to a node that sent the verification request to the apparatus. 
     
     
       9. A method comprising:
 storing, in an apparatus, a block chain segment of a block chain based resource management system wherein the managed resource is file storage capacity; 
 processing, based at least partly on the block chain segment, a verification request concerning a file storage capacity transaction transferring file storage capacity from one or more verifying nodes to a recipient lacking resources, and 
 causing transmission of a verification accept message, to the resource management system, in response to the processing indicating the file storage capacity transaction is acceptable, before a new block comprising the transaction is established in the block chain; wherein the transferring file storage capacity includes, for each transaction associated with a verification accept message and lacking sufficient resources, in the new block, a transaction that transfers file storage capacity from the one or more verifying nodes that sent the associated verification message, to a recipient of the transaction lacking sufficient resources. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the processing of the verification request comprises determining, whether a cryptographic signature comprised in the verification request is associated with sufficient resources to perform the transaction. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the apparatus comprises a verification node, and the processing of the verification request comprises collaborating with other verification nodes. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the collaborating comprises transmitting the verification request to the other verification nodes. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the collaborating comprises requesting further block chain segments from the other verification nodes. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising transmitting the verification accept message to at least one further verification node. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the verification accept message comprises a cryptographic signature of the apparatus. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the verification accept message is transmitted to a node that sent the verification request to the apparatus. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least:
 store a block chain segment of a block chain based resource management system wherein the managed resource is file storage capacity; 
 process, based at least partly on the block chain segment, a verification request concerning a file storage capacity transaction transferring file storage capacity from one or more verifying nodes to a recipient lacking resources, and 
 cause transmission of a verification accept message, to the resource management system, in response to the processing indicating the file storage capacity transaction is acceptable, before a new block comprising the transaction is established in the block chain; 
 wherein the transferring file storage capacity includes, for each transaction associated with a verification accept message and lacking sufficient resources, in the new block, a transaction that transfers file storage capacity from the one or more verifying nodes that sent the associated verification message, to a recipient of the transaction lacking sufficient resources.